Research oversight
Robust health data governance
A transparent, rigorous review process ensuring research proposals are ethically sound, scientifically valid, and aligned with patient and public interest.
Research oversight process
Flatiron Health UK has established a research oversight process to govern access to and use of our Real-World Data (RWD) products by academic researchers and commercial partners. This process has been approved by the NHS Health Research Authority.
Purpose
Internal Feasibility Review Panel
Ensures scientific validity, methodological feasibility and privacy compliance of access and use of Flatiron Health UK data. This panel is made up of Flatiron’s clinical and data science teams.
External, independent Research Transparency Panel
Ensures access and use of Flatiron data is in the patient and public interest. This panel is made up of clinicians, patients and lay representatives from across the UK.
Process
01
Data Access Request
-
Researcher submits data access proposal
-
Proposal must demonstrate that research will generate public and patient benefit
02
Feasibility Review Panel
-
Panel assesses:
-
Scientific validity
-
Methodological feasibility
-
Data privacy compliance
-
-
Review by Flatiron’s Patient Voices Panel
03
Research Transparency Panel
-
Impartial, external committee
-
Reviews new use cases for Flatiron data
-
Provided with transparency on research results
04
Data Access Decision
-
If data access is granted, access is via Flatiron Health UK’s Trusted Research Environment, which includes visualisation and analytical tools. We use centralised logging and all our servers are in the UK.
-
Only aggregated data can be downloaded.
-
Results must be reported within one year.
Note: Health insurers or cigarette manufacturers (as examples) would never be provided with access to the Flatiron Health UK RWD products (as described in our patient data privacy notice), so should such requests be received, they would not be accepted through this process.
Data access register
For transparency, this tracker captures details of projects that have been approved by the Flatiron Health UK Data Access Register.
Organisation | Date of Request Approval | Meeting Summaries | Target Diseases | Intended Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amgen | 3rd September, 2025 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Flatiron FORUM | 14th August, 2025 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM) | 14th August, 2025 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Pfizer | 25th June, 2025 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Novartis | 3rd December, 2024 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Flatiron (on behalf of Johnson & Johnson) | 3rd December, 2024 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Gilead | 4th June, 2024 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Takeda | 4th June, 2024 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Pfizer | 14th December, 2023 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
| Roche | 30th November, 2023 | View Meeting Summary |
|
|
Data Access Register
10 entries
Amgen
3rd September, 2025
Flatiron FORUM
14th August, 2025
Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM)
14th August, 2025
Pfizer
25th June, 2025
Novartis
3rd December, 2024
Flatiron (on behalf of Johnson & Johnson)
3rd December, 2024
Gilead
4th June, 2024
Takeda
4th June, 2024
Pfizer
14th December, 2023
Roche
30th November, 2023